Next week: Why won't he commit to me?

I'm a 27-year-old woman and have been in a relationship with my partner, who is 30, for four years. We travelled overseas last year, which brought its own challenges. During the course of our trip, I've learned two things about him: he thinks I'm holding him back and he doesn't want to marry me. I have mentioned getting married to him three times since we've been together. He is an indecisive man and getting him to go to a far-flung place was difficult, especially as his parents wanted him to stay home, but we both believe it's the best thing we ever did together.

However, we split up at the beginning of this year. The main reason for me is that he wants us both to live with his parents for a while, to save money. We tried this shortly before going abroad and I told him that it would break me to live with them again. I feel he has chosen them over me and that the pressure they originally put on him not to go travelling with me contributed to us breaking up. I've decided I will rent somewhere by myself and try to save for my own house.

He also had this desire for freedom during his previous relationship - he didn't want to get married then either.

Now we're in limbo. We're about to go our separate ways, but still care for each other. Why will a man sleep with a woman, when he won't marry her or tell her he loves her?

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